Charging Question

[zhottel12]

I apologize for another charging question, but I'm really having trouble finding data somewhere to answer my question.

There is a free Level 2 charger in my town that is right beside my gym and about 100 other places I go. It's rarely in use, so I use it a lot. So much so, I only use the level 1 printable charge at home if the free charger is in use a lot (maybe once every other week and I know it's not for long term use).

My question is, will this hurt my battery? I've read a lot about battery degradation and level 2 at home charging conditioning batteries so I've considered one, but I would prefer not spending that money if the free charger is ok for my car.

From what I can tell, the level 2 free charger won't speed degradation and will condition the battery, but I can't find confirmation or anything about it.

Thanks!

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[Mach-Lee]

Not sure what you read, but Level 2 charging will not hurt your battery whatsoever. And yes it will condition if necessary.

The only thing that could have an effect is frequent high-power DC charging. But the studies have shown there is almost no measurable difference in battery degradation between cars that DC charge a lot vs. ones that never do. Therefore you shouldn't worry or be concerned about charging your car at higher power chargers.

 

[zhottel12]

Not sure what you read, but Level 2 charging will not hurt your battery whatsoever. And yes it will condition if necessary.

The only thing that could have an effect is frequent high-power DC charging. But the studies have shown there is almost no measurable difference in battery degradation between cars that DC charge a lot vs. ones that never do. Therefore you shouldn't worry or be concerned about charging your car at higher power chargers.

Thanks.

The big things I read says DC is bad. But I assumed that meant fast chargers. However, no one ever mentions Level 2 public chargers and their benefits if it's convenient for you.

 

[garyd9]

My question is, will this hurt my battery? I've read a lot about battery degradation and level 2 at home charging conditioning batteries so I've considered one, but I would prefer not spending that money if the free charger is ok for my car.

From what I can tell, the level 2 free charger won't speed degradation and will condition the battery, but I can't find confirmation or anything about it.

Any level 2 over a certain amperage will condition your battery (I don't remember the amperage, but I bet @Mach-Lee knows.)

Do you know what amperage or wattage the public L2 EVSE is?

Regardless, it's unlikely to hurt your battery. L2 EVSE's aren't actually chargers - they are more like specialized electrical outlets that feed into your car's internal charger. (This differs from L3 chargers - which are actually chargers feeding power directly into your battery.)

 

[zhottel12]

Any level 2 over a certain amperage will condition your battery (I don't remember the amperage, but I bet @Mach-Lee knows.)

Do you know what amperage or wattage the public L2 EVSE is?

Regardless, it's unlikely to hurt your battery. L2 EVSE's aren't actually chargers - they are more like specialized electrical outlets that feed into your car's internal charger. (This differs from L3 chargers - which are actually chargers feeding power directly into your battery.)

Thanks. I'll check on the amps, but it isn't high. Typically I get about

Any level 2 over a certain amperage will condition your battery (I don't remember the amperage, but I bet @Mach-Lee knows.)

Do you know what amperage or wattage the public L2 EVSE is?

Regardless, it's unlikely to hurt your battery. L2 EVSE's aren't actually chargers - they are more like specialized electrical outlets that feed into your car's internal charger. (This differs from L3 chargers - which are actually chargers feeding power directly into your battery.)

Thanks. I've never checked the amps, but typically I get about 7kwh per hour. Not sure if that helps or not.

 

[garyd9]

It sounds like 32amps - which would be plenty for conditioning.

That's actually pretty nice to find a FREE 32amp L2 charger. In VA!

 

[zhottel12]

It sounds like 32amps - which would be plenty for conditioning.

That's actually pretty nice to find a FREE 32amp L2 charger. In VA!

Visit Woodstock VA! We've had one for several years in our downtown public parking lot.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[markw314]

It sounds like 32amps - which would be plenty for conditioning.

That's actually pretty nice to find a FREE 32amp L2 charger. In VA!

I'm in Loudoun County (northern VA) and we've got a number of free Volta (now Sunoco?) L2 chargers. They claim to be 8.3kW, though at times they feel like L1.5 chargers...

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